Recently, Carly Anderson finished her run starring as Polly Baker in Crazy For You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre alongside a cast including Charlie Stemp as Bobby Child and Tom Edden as Bela Zangler. Carly previously played the role at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022, which was her first role back after having her son and with the pandemic closing theatres, and over her time as Polly Baker, Carly performed on The One Show, The Royal Variety Performance and at West End Live. Further projects for Carly has seen her play Glinda on the International Tour of Wicked opposite Jacqueline Hughes as Elphaba, be in the cast of Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum (which starred Glenn Close), and she played Gwen in the West End production of Sunny Afternoon. On screen, Carly played Marie Monroe in the crime drama series Traces, which premiered in 2019 on Alibi followed by BBC One in 2021. Carly answered our questions about starring as Polly Baker in Crazy For You both at the Gillian Lynne Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre, performing as Glinda in Wicked and her time in Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum.
You have recently finished starring as Polly Baker in Crazy For You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in the West End, what did you enjoy most about being part of the show?
It is just such a feel-good show, so full of joy. The Gershwin score, the humour, getting to dance that choreography, it was a privilege.
What was Polly like to play and how was it performing the musical numbers?
Glorious, I loved it. What a character she is and full of complexity. Strength, humour, vulnerability… there aren’t many female identifying roles like that. The musical numbers were, in a word, hard! Susan Stroman’s choreography is so wonderful to dance but extremely challenging. I’m not sure if Shall We Dance? ever got easier!
What was it like working alongside the rest of the cast, which included Charlie Stemp as Bobby Child and Tom Edden as Bela Zangler?
Charlie and Tom really did make every day a delight. They were so supportive and would never fail to put a smile on my face. Everyone was so great to work with and we had such a laugh together. A privilege to share the stage with them all but it’s the offstage, in between moments that are the best, the chit chat after the weekend, that sort of thing.
Having played Polly in Crazy For You at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022, how was it performing in Chichester and seeing the audience response to the show?
The Chichester audiences are fantastic, they are so supportive of the theatre. It’s a real community feel there. Crazy For You, I believe, was their most successful show to date!
What was it like returning to live theatre with Crazy For You and was there anything that drew you to the role of Polly?
I had taken time off whilst pregnant and, when my son was one, the pandemic hit so it had been a long time since I had stepped on a stage! The stars seemed to align with this one, but I can also see many parallels between myself and Polly, there was an ease to it, a familiarity. I guess I’m quite like her in many ways.
How did you find the experience performing on The One Show, The Royal Variety Performance and at West End Live?
We had such a great time on all of these, very grateful to have been a part of them. But it can be very nerve-racking performing for television, it’s so final. On stage there’s always another opportunity to get it right.
In the International Tour of Wicked, you starred as Glinda opposite Jacqueline Hughes as Elphaba, what was Wicked like to perform in and how was it taking on the role of Glinda?
Glinda was a dream role of mine, so it felt very special. I saw it when it first opened in the West End and was hooked, there’s a reason it’s still running 17 years on!
What are some of your favourite memories from touring internationally with the production?
We had some brilliant audiences on tour, particularly in the Philippines. Favourite memories, as always though, are all the nonsense we got up to in between working. I appreciate that time even more in hindsight; getting to do something you love and travel the world with your pals – awesome.
How was your time in the cast of Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum and what was it like understudying Betty Schaefer?
Being on stage with Glenn Close singing As If We Never Said Goodbye… a masterclass.
I had understudied for many years but never got on for this role, that would have been lovely. We had a wonderful orchestra on stage with us and that score is just sublime in its full glory.
What was it like playing Gwen in Sunny Afternoon in the West End?
This was a cool one. It was such a creative process, as it always is with a new musical, there was so much collaboration and experimenting in the early days of the rehearsal room.
On screen, you played Marie Monroe in the crime drama series Traces, what was it like filming for the show?
I had limited experience working on a film set so it was a great opportunity to learn and work alongside some great actors.
How did you get into acting and was it something you always wanted to do?
I’ve never really wanted to do anything else, I knew from pretty early on that I wanted to perform in some capacity. I went to local amdram groups and fell in love with musicals.
What are some of your favourite theatre shows to watch and which would you like to see that you haven’t done so as yet?
I’m desperate to see Stranger Things at the Phoenix. There are so many exciting things opening in the West End this year. I still haven’t seen Operation Mincemeat, that’s top of the list!
How do you like to spend your free time?
With family and friends and good food. Or in the garden, I could potter around for hours there.
Do you have any projects coming up that you can tell us about and what are you hoping 2024 brings for you?
I shall be spending a lot of time with family this year whilst waiting for something exciting to come my way. Here’s hoping.
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